Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif has slammed the National Sports Authority (NSA) for renting out the Baba Yara Sports Stadium just weeks before Ghana’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Baba Yara Stadium’s pitch was severely damaged after hosting a five-day church program in July, which raised concerns about its suitability for international matches.
The Black Stars suffered a 1-0 defeat against Angola at the stadium, leading to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) revoking the stadium’s license to host international competitions.
“Of course, [the NSA failed in its duty] by its singular decision to rent the Kumasi Stadium for that program just before the Angola match,” Ussif told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports on Tuesday.
The stadium has since been temporarily closed for repairs alongside that of Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, and the Sports Ministry has directed the NSA to resolve the pitch issues promptly.
According to the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to get back on calls for the Accra and Cape Coast Sports stadiums to be inspected.
Meanwhile, Honourable Ussif refuted claims that Ghana has no FIFA-standard pitch, stating Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast are high class facilities.
“It’s not that we don’t have FIFA-standard pitches in Ghana; we do have FIFA-standard pitches in Cape Coast, Accra, and Kumasi,” Ussif said.
“It is not true that we lack FIFA-standard stadiums in Ghana. It is up to CAF to decide.
“We have written to them to request an inspection of the Accra Sports Stadium and Cape Coast Sports Stadium, and they have yet to respond.”
The Black Stars take on Sudan on October 11 in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Togo, Nigeria or Ivory as possible destinations.
–
Story by Asack Pius|univers.ug.edu.gh
